A lovely house from Tyrol, Minneapolis | Better Homes and Gardens, August 3, 1951

This is an interesting house built by Mr. and Mrs. McGinnis from Tyrol, Minneapolis. The main attraction inside is the planter between the living room and dining room. There are no ceiling light fixtures. Most lights are flush or hidden behind valance boards.

Here's how Mrs. McGinnis describes the project:

We're building our own house in Tyrol suburb of Minneapolis. No contractors or operators are involved, and it's not a compromise brickbox but the house we really want to live in.

Millard and I are 27, and the only thing we ever built before was a bookcase. But we can library books, and after six years of apartment living we were ready to try anything. Our house is now ready for plastering, but it will probably be six or eight months before the inside detail work and landscaping are completed.

We started with a 1/8-inch scale model, built on the plans Millard drew (with the kibitzing of dozen architect friends). We changed the faces of the model at least three times before we hit proportions that seemed right for the house, and we've never been sorry. Quite a few strangers have stopped to ask about the overhang and pitch measurments.

Millard has done all the work, with the exception of cement and plaster work, and I have been chief painter, adviser, and holder. The framework was started last October, but almost nothing was accomplished until this spring. We estimate that will take about 15 work-months to complete everything, and all of this has been and will be done spare time. My husband's business may have suffered slightly because of carpentry interests, but we won't be paying for our home for the rest of our lives, either. We believe we have saved at least half the cost of a house like ours, and even now, in the midst of the hard work and sacrifice of social activities, we know that this home means more to us than a ready-made or even a made-to-order one could possibly mean.